Welcome back to our Second covenant Jehovah-Elohim made with His creation: The Covenant with Adam and Eve after they had taken the temptation in the Garden of Eden.

So far we have laid out the concepts of ‘Covenants’ by a Creator seeking relationship with His creation. We saw the purposes, the terms and the three parts to all covenants.

We then started the very first Covenant given by Jehovah-Elohim in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered creation. We now continue with the Great Rescue plan the fall of the Human Race.

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A. We return to our STORY:

“It has all seemed so innocent to begin with. The tempting voice…. the glittering snake…. The woman wasn’t sure which was ….what …..AGAIN. She just stood there and stared at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil ….and listened to the voice of a snake!

“Did God really say that you could not eat from any tree in the garden?”

No, that wasn’t what Jehovah-Elohim had said….was it? She was growing more and more confused.

She turned and glared at the snake: “We may eat of any fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

Not far away, Adam woke, stretched and reached for Eve. She wasn’t there …..AGAIN. She had been slipping away early, before he woke up for awhile now. He stirred himself and walked from the little shelter they had selected for their sleeping area.

He followed the familiar sound of her voice and watched her….AGAIN, standing in the middle of the Garden. This time he heard another voice: “You will not surely die! For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.”

Adam hesitated and then walked up to stand beside Eve as she reached out and touched the fruit. Nothing happened and she smiled to herself. ‘Maybe the snake was right.’ She said to Adam.

Adam barely reacted as she reached out again …..and took a piece of the fruit, ate it and then looked at him. He said nothing but accepted the fruit and ate of it also.

Suddenly, the world around them shattered in brightness and then dullness. Their eyes were opened and they saw…the spiritual realm came into clarity…and they saw the crafty snake for who it was! ….and they knew they had betrayed their Creator.

Adam grabbed her hand and ran…but as he ran, he noticed another difference in their world: They were naked…and a huge emptiness was growing deep within both of them! How could they face Jehovah-Elohim this way?

Well, the confrontation happened, they paid the consequences of listening to the snake. Our story would take too long to go into the ‘blame game’, the shame and guilt reactions and then the animal’s death to cover their nakedness. They were driven out of the Garden.

At first, the world on the outside was similar to the Garden. They found a new shelter and began a new life…but the deep relationship with Jehovah-Elohim was no longer there to guide them.

As they huddled together in the darkness, Adam was aware of the softness of the woman’s hair and her subtle smell. Powerful forces began to build within him as he held Eve. He began to do the unthinkable; he brutally forced the Woman to have a different kind of sexual intercourse with him – against her will. Genesis 4:1)

Later as he stared at the blood on her thighs, tears rolled down his face. The woman moved in the darkness and pulled Adam to her. She began to comfort him … and slowly, the thoughts came: ‘I still have my Woman to be my help and strength…’

She would become the new source of his comfort and life. How much the woman recognised the new power she had been given over Adam, all women since then have held such inner knowledge.

In recognition of the natural and spiritual meanings, Adam named his wife ‘Eve’ as she was ‘…the mother of all the living’. Genesis 3:30.

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B. THE SETTING FOR THE COVENANT WITH ADAM

1. We all know the story as recorded in Genesis 3.

The serpent deceived and tempted the woman, 1 Timothy 2:13-14. By continuously attacking the words of the covenant, Satan created confusion and doubt, gaining an opening into God’s creation. “Did God really say ….?” was his line of attack.

Satan’s arrows of unbelief and doubt, disobedience and pride went straight into the heart of Adam and the woman. The perfect helpmate usurped Adam’s commission and but acted out the desires of his heart. She ate from the forbidden tree and then gave it to the man “… who was there with her…”, Genesis 3:6-7. Thus he gave his quiet consent to her actions.

Later, fear, guilt and shame entered as they hid from their loving Protector, each blaming the other for their actions.

Many people and even major religions blame Eve for the fall of humans. They have required the women to cover themselves with black and remain hidden at home. They claim that it was women who sinned therefore all women since then are to be shamed, punished and treated as less than equals.

However, when we look carefully at the records, it was Adam who abdicated his authority and allowed the Women – who he was supposed to care for – do an action that he really wanted to do himself. Who did Jehovah-Elohim hold responsibly in the end?

Adam was given the commission to ‘…..guard, guide and govern the Garden’ and that included his precious gift from Jehovah, the woman. Adam set the foundation for the ‘old nature in males’ just as Eve set the ‘old nature in females’. Huuummm…and that means? Interested? ——– > Let me a comment and we’ll do another post on the issue of male/female relationships because of the change between Adam and Eve. ?????

However, the picture was even worse than that: They had been deceived into giving their God-given authority to rule and have dominion over the Earth to the Serpent – the Enemy from the heavenlies – Satan and his hordes. Thus the Messiah, the ‘Seed of the Woman’, was promised to rescue mankind from this anguish, Genesis 3:15.

God continued to elaborate the unavoidable consequences of their actions and called it a ‘Curse’. Because Adam and Eve failed the test of obedience and faith by not keeping the terms of the agreement, Jehovah-Elohim instituted a new agreement with them and their descendants in Genesis 3:8.

Even here, a loving Jehovah-Elohim steps in and institutes a sacrifice to make their clothes and begin a ritual that would bring some peace with Him, Genesis 3:21.

2. However, major consequences still took place

a) The covenant relationship between God and mankind was broken. No longer would Adam and the Women know the inner spirit to Spirit connection they once had. This would only be restored with the ‘Anointed One’, to the followers of Jesus Christ some 5,000 years later.

b) Mankind’s character was going to be corrupted, especially their ability to choose right and wrong. Down through history, making that choice would cost untold suffering and misery as those in authority rejected God’s decisions and acted in their own selfish, greedy interests.

c) Their dominion over the Earth and over Creation was lost as the whole creation became more and more came under the influence of the curse. Work to survive ‘by the sweat of their brow’ replaced the ‘hobby’ work had once been for Adam.

d) All of mankind’s offspring came under the same curse of sin and death.

3. The Words of the Breaking of the Covenant were pronounced:

I believe that it was a sad, loving Creator God that instructed them about the results of their disobedience: The Earth would change, they and their offspring would know struggle, pain and hardship and the Enemy would seem to triumph.

a) A ‘curse’ was on the Serpent. In humiliation, the snake would crawl on its belly; fear and dread would exist between women and her offspring and the snake and its offspring, Genesis 3:14. The natural serpent which was used as a tool of Satan is irrevocably humiliated to the dust of the Earth.

b) A ‘curse’ was on Satan, who will eventually be crushed by God’s forces. This curse extended to the instigator of the plot, to Satan and those who followed his rebellion. The woman’s Seed will ultimately crush his head, Romans 16:20, Revelation 12, 20:12. This ‘Seed promise’ is still progressively unfolding in succeeding covenants and consummates in Christ and the Church.

c) Judgement on Women – Because of the Woman’s disobedience, the inner tension and troubles she would face would change the nature of her reproductive cycles and childbirth would be painful.

d) Judgement on the Man – the soil would change and soon. Thorns and thistles, insects and pestilence would cause Adam and his offspring to ‘sweat, toil and find sorrow in labouring with a cursed Earth until humans returned to the dust in his death. They would now ‘toil’ to grow food.

The Relationship between all males and females would also change, bringing attitudes of rebellion or defiance, competition and disharmony to all relationships. Adam’s attitude would change toward Eve. Instead of loving dominion, she would know dominance, to ‘rule over her’….just she would still desire to be subservient to her husband.

e) A Curse on the Earth, Genesis 3:17-18. As the soil was cursed, thorns and thistles, insects and pestilence would begin to grow, replacing the fertile ground. This would hinder mankind’s prosperity.

f) A Curse would be on the Animal Kingdom, Romans 8:20-22, Genesis 2:19-10. Through the loss of man’s dominion, animals would go wild and live without man’s loving protection. This is especially seen in the consequences of the next covenant after the world-wide flood.

g) The Judgement of sin by Death – The wages of sin is Death – both spiritual, as their spirit no longer connected with God – and eventually physical death, Genesis 2:17, 3:19.

h) Through an animal sacrifice, God supplied temporary forgiveness of sin and clothes for their self-aware nakedness.

i) Finally, Adam and the Woman as a Couple faced judgement as they were expelled from the Garden of Eden.

4. The Blood Sacrifice was required:

Through the animal sacrifice, God demonstrates His grace by providing a way through. He did not leave them without either physical or spiritual protection. By continuing to use this sacrificial system, they did receive His continued guidance – but it was not the same ‘free’ relationship as it had been in the Garden of Eden. This sacrifice was the first step in restoring mankind back to Him.

5. Thirdly, a Seal was given:

Having disobeyed the first Covenant with Jehovah-Elohim, Adam and Eve received the coasts of skins as tokens of the atoning act of God. This action points to the ultimate sacrifice that would required the liberation from Satan’s hold, that of the death of Jesus Christ.

D. IN CONCLUSIONS FOR THESE FIRST TWO COVENANTS

Making a covenant with humans is a loving, sovereign act on Jehovah-Elohim’s part. Such agreements are woven into the greatest story ever told – God’s ultimate purpose for eternity. These two agreements between Creator God and His creation set the stage for Jehovah-Elohim’s plans to unfold.

He was not caught ‘off-guard’ in the actions of the serpent, Satan’s plans or the actions of the first couple. Jehovah-Elohim built on this sad affair to bring to fullness His plans for all the Covenants to come.

E. HOMEWORK – SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. Why would God want to make covenant with mankind?

2. From the clues given in Genesis, what might have been God’s purpose for mankind had Adam and Eve been able to reject and defeat the serpent?

3. What is the significance of “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” for us today? …. and the Tree of Life?

Next week, we continue to tell the story with the Third covenant, between God and Noah and the promise represented by the Rainbow. Join us then,

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In our Blog, we have been talking about Hearing God. Here is a very practical example of what we mean! 'Living with Jesus Today' by Jaun Carlos Ortiz. I so enjoyed the book I wanted to share it with you! My source is a pdf file from the 'Net.
Send an email if you want a copy: sf7272@bigpond.com Susanne

"The morning will shine bright and clear as you walk more and more with Me. Remember it is a journey and you are never alone on your path. I have been here since the beginning of beginnings, since your conception and will be here at the end of your days. There is nothing hidden from Me. I walk with you and long to draw you closer to Me. Read My word more and allow Me to touch your Heart with My love.

"Follow the path I have for you. I lead you by My peace and lightness. In My path there is light and joy, a refreshing for your spirit. I am here, My child. Allow your Heart to believe this truth more and more.

"I long to show you things that will bring gladness to your Heart. I have good plans for you, treasures to share with you. Allow Me to lead you. Trust in Me more and follow My Spirit's path that I have marked for you.

"I came to relieve you of your burdens. I came to heal the broken hearted. I know the secrets of your Heart, places where pain still hides. There is nothing hidden, especially as you allow Me more freedom in your life.

"Walk and draw closer to Me. I know your concerns. I know the path ahead and I plan on growing you. Know this also that you will never be left to the enemy's plans alone. I am here!

"Follow My choices as I show them to you. Chose to follow Me as I lead you on more mountain tops but also into the deep valleys. The life will soon be completed and I will call My people home. Until then, I have much for you to still do.

"Keep your eyes on Me and I will show you the path I want you to follow.

"I am here My child and eternity awaits My people. I have touched your Heart and marked you as My own. Let Me show you what I have for you and let me guide you. Look for My hand in the things around you and you will find Me.

"My peace I leave with you as you walk this journey. Find My pace and you will find Me more and more. This is your great goal, your greatest treasure, to know Me more and more. Let this word sink deep into your Heart and know that I love you!"

If you would like your own personal, 1 page prophecy, get in touch with me at www.fiverr.com/susanne72

This study has been written for those who wish a deeper and more vital relationship with the loving Lord Jesus Christ. These 10 'R's' or 10 Steps are not a magic formula or a superstitious law for immediate growth. We present this as a procedure to follow for your own walk.
This study is birthed out of over 25 years of counselling experience, ministering to the new Christian as well as to those who have walked a long part of their journey already. While these steps are designed to be followed in order, we do realise the Holy Spirit may lead you into a different order or spend more time on new step and not on another. However, the aim is a deeper deliverance they you have ever had before!

We also need to emphasise that having a counsellor or one experienced in walking with Jesus as a helper will also be of benefit for you, especially if deep deliverance is needed. We do have the greatest Counsellor and Helper available, so remember to allow Him to come along side and help in this study.

We also recommend you take each step and think through the material presented. This is not a 'Quick everyday reading' and then more on to the rest of your life. You need to absorb the information as treasures - not only for your head but also for your Heart! To get the most out of this study, give yourself the gift of time and a quiet space the really think through what we are presenting. The more you put into this study, the more you will benefit from the Holy Spirit's deliverance.

Aim to complete it thoroughly. The material can be printed off and studied in your own space and time … but give yourself the time to do it properly. Remember those who hear and apply the word are blessed rather than be the foolish man who built his house on the sand. Applying what you are going to learn is important!

May this study be used to help His church, His bride prepare herself for His coming again!

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I am the wife of an amazing husband, Daniel. I have been working on my 'hobby' of website design for over three years. Made any money... well...not enough to pay for our hosting account at Hostgater....but that's partly what a hobby is all about.
I've enthusiastically jumped into blogs with 'a warehouse of great info' we have collected over our 20 plus years of counselling and mentoring. So, please take advantage of the years of wisdom we have gathered.
We have dedicated this blog to build hope that everyone out there can really, really hear from God and that is our heart's desire! He gives us true focus, sets our priorities and build our faith in His love.
Your Thoughts? I’d especially love to hear from those of you who know something about this topic to those who are sceptical or have yet to begin this journey.
Contact us on susanne[atbigpond.com. Also see our 'About us' page.